Digital Pill Dispenser

ABSTRACT

The device is an apparatus for storing and dispensing pills and supplements of various kinds The dispensed substance could be food, drug, supplements, liquids, powders or pills. The device is a pill dispenser consisting of a rectangular body with rounded edges and display unit that functions as an alarm clock. The device may work with blister-packed pills or alternatively use an encapsulated compartment to hold and dispense loose pills. The device will have opening in the front and back so that the pills can be distributed. The device beeps, vibrates and illuminates to remind the user to take their pills or medicine in regular intervals.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (IF ANY)

None

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSOREDRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (IF ANY)

None

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a digital pill dispenser; moreparticular a pill dispenser vibrates and illuminates to remind the userto take their pills or medicine in regular intervals.

2. Background

For people who may have lost one or more senses, there exists a need fora device offers multisensory reminders to take their pills (sound,light, vibration).

Originally, pill dispensers were primarily large homebound dispensers.Prior art people failed to solve the problem of how to dispensemedication to patients that must take their medications throughout theirdays and evenings. Prior art people failed to develop a dispenser thatwas small enough to be carried inconspicuously and conveniently bypatients while they are working, performing their community activities,vacationing, traveling, and visiting friends and family members.

There is still room for improvement in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is an apparatus for storing and dispensing pillsand supplements of various kinds. The dispensed substance could be anytype of food, drugs, or medicines such as supplements, liquids, powders,Gels, gases or pills. The device has display unit that functions as analarm clock. It beeps, vibrates and illuminates to remind the user totake their pills or medicine in regular intervals. The user can selectany or all of these features or none of them.

The device also functions independently as an alarm clock with a timefeature.

The device is programmable. The user may set up to any number of alarms.The device may work with blister-packed pills or alternatively use anencapsulated compartment to hold and dispense loose pills. The device isportable and made of plastic, metal or wood or any other moldable ormachined material. The device allows for the user to conveniently andsecurely transport their pills or medication in a sleek apparatus thatwill remind them when to take their pills.

The device consists of a base with a storage area into which the blisterpack of pills or the pills are place with display at the top of the basewhich has a power means such as a battery and an audio signaling meanssuch as a beeper. The top of the base would also have one or more inputkeys to allow a user to input the correct time information when a pillis supposed to be taken. The base bottom and the top will have openingsthat correspond to the locations of the pills in the blister pack. Thiswill allow a user an easy access to the pills by pushing the top of theblister pack so that the pills will come out of the bottom.

For elderly people who may have lost one or more senses, the deviceoffers multisensory reminders to take their pills (sound, light,vibration). The device may or may not contain RFID or other similarmechanism to communicate with smart phones, computers and othermultimedia devices to deliver and receive data such as when the userneeds to re-order pills or if the user missed a dose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred formof this invention is illustrated in the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a display of the front of the pill dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the pill dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the device;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective of the device;

FIG. 6 shows the display and input buttons:

FIGS. 7A and 7B display the device being used;

FIG. 8 displays the blister pack being put into the device;

FIG. 9 displays a simple schematic of the device;

FIG. 10 displays the device using a wireless network; and

FIG. 11 displays pill holders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

There are a number of significant design features and improvementsincorporated within the invention.

The current invention is an apparatus for storing and dispensingmaterial such as pills and supplements of various kinds as shown inFIG. 1. The dispensed substance could be food, drug, supplements,liquids, powders or pills but in the preferred embodiment it will bespecified as pills 200 even though it can be any type of food, drugs, ormedicines such as supplements, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills.

The device 1 has display unit 18 that functions as an alarm clock. Itbeeps, vibrates and illuminates to remind the user to take their pillsor medicine 200 in regular intervals. The user can select any or all ofthese features or none of them.

The device 1 also functions independently as an alarm clock with a timefeature. It can also function as a stop watch.

The device 1 is programmable having a computer processor 630. The usermay set up to a plurality of alarms. The device may work withblister-packed pills or alternatively use an encapsulated compartment tohold and dispense loose pills 200. The device 1 is portable and made ofplastic, metal or wood or any other moldable material. The device 1 isrectangular in shape with rounded edges.

The device 1 allows for the user to conveniently and securely transporttheir pills or medication in a sleek apparatus that will remind themwhen to take their pills.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the device 1 consists of a rectangular base 10with a hinged pill storage area 12 into which the blister pack 40 ofpills or the pills 200 are place with a display unit 18 at the top ofthe base 10 which has a power means such as a battery 100 and an audiosignaling means such as a beeper 110 or speaker 640. The top 11 of thebase 10 would also have one or more input keys to allow a user to inputinformation such as the correct time when a pill 200 is supposed to betaken or when to buy more pills or set the timer.

The base bottom 70 and the hinged lid 80 will have openings 90 thatcorrespond to the locations of the pills 200 in the blister pack 40.This will allow a user an easy access to the pills 200 by pushing thetop of the blister pack 40 so that the pills 200 will come out of thebottom 70.

FIG. 6 shows the display and input buttons. At the top rounded edge ofthe base 10 is the display unit 18. The display unit 18 in the preferredembodiment is an LED display, but any other digital display like OLED orLCD can be used. It displays a numeric timer that displays when the useris supposed to take their next pill 200. There is input buttons belowthe display unit 18. In the preferred embodiment there are three inputbuttons that are slightly raised above the surface. The buttons on thefront are hours 510 to set the hour display or the hour to notify theuser, minutes 520 to set the minute display or the minute to notify theuser and the set button 530 which is used the set the time for displayor to notify the user. There is an on/off button 505 on the left side ofthe base 10 near the top which turns the display and the notificationfunction. There are three buttons on the right side of the base 10. Thetop button 540 is for setting the alarm 590. The alarm 590 which is abeep and/or a sound and/or a vibration and/or a light 660 set by theuser that will go off at the set time. This can be used to notify theuser of the time to take a pill 200 or to buy more pills. The bottombutton 550 is for setting the vibration means 650 and a middle button560 for setting the light 660.

At the back of the base 10 there is a battery compartment 600 with abattery compartment lid 610 which screws in. A battery 620 is held inthe battery compartment 600. This battery 620 is used to power thedisplay unit 18 and a computer processor 630 as well as a speaker 640 orbeeper 110, the light 660 and the vibration means 650 as well as thewireless connection device 700 if there is one.

A user removes pills 200 at the appropriate time by pressing the top ofthe blister pack 40 at a location of one of the pills 50 through one ofthe lid openings 25 pushing the pill 50 through the foil bottom 42 ofthe blister pack 40 through one of the bottom openings 15 as shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B.

The device 1 is opened by pushing open the lid 20 giving access to thepill cavity 16. The blister pack 40 or other pill holding means isplaced into the pill cavity 16 with the pills facing the lid 20 and theback of the blister pack 40 placed against the floor 18 of the pillcavity 15 with the pill lined up with the lid openings 25 and the bottomopenings 15 as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 displays a simple schematic of the device. This battery 620 isconnected to the display unit 18 and a computer processor 630 as well asa speaker 640 and/or beeper 110 and to the other notification means andwireless communication devices. The computer processor 630 receivesinput from the input buttons 510, 520, 530, 540, 550. The pill dispenser1 may also have a wireless communication means 700 which is connected tothe computer processor 630. The pill disperser 1 will also have avibration means 650 attached to the computer processor 630 which willvibrate to indicate a specific event such as time for the user to take apill 200 or to purchase more pills 200. There will also be a light 660in the display unit 18 that will light up to indicate a specific eventsuch as time for the user to take a pill 200 or to purchase more pills200.

For elderly people who may have lost one or more senses, the pilldispenser 1 device offers multisensory reminders to take their pills(sound, light, vibration). The device 1 may or may not have a wirelessconnection device 700, RFID or other similar mechanism to communicatewith smart phones 710, computers 720 and other multimedia devices 730 todeliver and receive data such as when the user needs to re-order pillsor if the user missed a dose as shown in FIG. 10. This wirelessconnection device 700 may work with Bluetooth, RFID or any otherwireless means. In one embodiment of the pill dispenser device 1, aKIOSK will program the device 1 with the initial pill taking schedulefor the user as well as the time to re-order pills 200.

In the preferred embodiment, the pills 200 will be stored in a blisterpack 40 but other storage means can be used as shown in FIG. 11. Apressed cardboard holder 940 can be used where the cardboard hasindentations where the user can load the pills 200 and it is folded overat a fold 941 to cover the pills 200. This would be loaded in the pillcavity 15 with the pill lined up with the lid openings 25 and the bottomopenings 15. A framed pill holder 950 could also be used. This would bemade of a flexible material such as plastic with the pills 200 beingloaded into the pill holder cell 955 which would hold the pills 200 inplace. The pill holder cell would be made of a frame with enough tensionstrength to hold the pill 200 in place but when the user pushes down onthe pill 200 the top frame 956 and bottom frame 957 would part enoughfor the pill 200 to be released from the frame.

As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of thepresent invention, the same should be apparent from the abovedescription. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the mannerof usage and operation will be provided.

With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that theoptimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, toinclude variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and mannerof operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obviousto one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

I claim:
 1. A device for dispensing material comprising: a base with astorage area which holds a material holding means which holds thematerial where said material can be dispense individually with a displayunit at the top of the base with a notifying means to notify the user ofone or more specific events with openings in the bottom and the top thecorrespond to the location of the material in the holding means.
 2. Adevice according to claim 1 further comprising having a plurality ofinput keys.
 3. A device according to claim 2 further comprising havingsaid input keys being used to set data into the device.
 4. A deviceaccording to claim 1 further comprising having said event being thecorrect time when the material needs to be taken.
 5. A device accordingto claim 1 further comprising having said event being when more materialneed to be purchased.
 6. A device according to claim 1 furthercomprising having said notifying means being one or more from a set of abeeper, a speaker, a vibration means or a light.
 7. A device accordingto claim 1 further comprising having an alarm clock with a time feature.8. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a hinged lidattached to said base.
 9. A device according to claim 1 furthercomprising having said device being used as a timer.
 10. A deviceaccording to claim 1 further comprising having a plurality of input keysbeing located below said display unit.
 11. A device according to claim 1further comprising having a plurality of input keys being located on theside of said base.
 12. A device according to claim 1 further comprisinghaving a plurality of input keys being located below said display unitand on the side of said base.
 13. A device according to claim 1 furthercomprising having said material being one or more from a set of food,drugs, medicines, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills.
 14. A deviceaccording to claim 14 further comprising having the material dispensedby pushing on the top of said base.
 15. A device according to claim 1further comprising having the material dispensed by pushing on openingson top of said base and having the material dispensed through theopenings on the bottom of said base.
 16. A device according to claim 1further comprising having said holding means being a blister pack.
 17. Adevice according to claim 1 further comprising having a user setting aplurality of events.
 18. A device according to claim 1 furthercomprising having a wireless communication means.
 19. A device accordingto claim 18 further comprising having said device receive event datathrough said wireless communication means.
 20. A device for dispensingmaterial comprising: a base with a material storage area which holds amaterial holding means which holds the material where said material canbe dispense individually with a display unit at the top of the base witha notifying means to notify the user of one or more specific events withopenings in the bottom and the top the correspond to the location of thematerial in the holding means having a plurality of input keys havingsaid input keys being located below said display unit and on the side ofsaid and being used to set data into the device, having said notifyingmeans being one or more from a set of a beeper, a speaker, a vibrationmeans or a light, having an alarm clock with a time feature, having awireless communication means through which event data is received andhaving said material being one or more from a set of food, drugs,medicines, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills.